Taking the Stairs Linked to a Boost in Longevity and Heart Health, Study Finds

Fact checked by Nick BlackmerFact checked by Nick Blackmer

• A new study found a link between stair climbing and a reduced risk of a cardiac event or dying from any cause.

• Experts
  said there isn’t enough research to recommend a specific number of
  stairs to climb, but that any amount of stair-climbing has benefits.

• The first step to incorporating the exercise into your daily routine is to pay attention to your surroundings.

You
probably already know that climbing stairs can boost fitness by burning
calories and strengthening muscles, but a new analysis has found that
the simple exercise may actually prolong your life.

The
review, which looked at nearly 500,000 people, found a link between
climbing stairs and a reduced chance of dying from any cause.
Researchers also found that taking the stairs may lower the risk of
cardiovascular events such as heart attack and stroke.

The
findings, which haven’t been published in a peer-reviewed journal, were
presented at a conference from the European Society of Cardiology in
late April.

“This is the first systematic review and meta-analysis
to specifically look at the association between stair climbing as a
form of physical activity and cardiovascular risk,” lead study author Sophie Paddock, MD, of the University of East Anglia and Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital Foundation Trust in the United Kingdom, told Health.
“It’s been well known for some time that physical inactivity is
associated with a significant burden of cardiovascular disease, and many
guidelines [and] policies advise us to increase our physical activity
where possible.”

It’s important to remember that the study is observational and therefore doesn’t establish causation, Tamanna Singh, MD, the codirector of the Sports Cardiology Center at Cleveland Clinic, told Health.
Instead, you can say that “there seems to be an association” between
stair climbing and a reduced risk of dying and developing heart disease.

A Closer Look at the Study

Researchers
reviewed nine studies examining the relationship between climbing
stairs and cardiovascular disease and premature death. Those papers
included 480,479 participants who were either in good health or had a
previous history of heart attack or peripheral arterial disease. Ages
ranged from 35 to 84, and about 53% were women.

The team found
that people who climbed stairs as a form of exercise had a 24% lower
risk of “all-cause mortality,” or dying from any cause, compared to
non-stair climbers. Stair climbers also had a 39% lower chance of dying
from cardiovascular disease, a category that includes coronary artery
disease, heart attack, high blood pressure, and stroke. Cardiovascular
disease is the leading cause of death worldwide.

Those who climbed stairs also had reduced odds of developing cardiac events such as heart attack, stroke, and heart failure.

Paddock
said the study’s main limitation is that the research it reviewed
relied on participants to report their climbing activity. “This may not
be fully representative of their actual stair-climbing behaviors,” she
said.

She also said there’s a need for more studies “that
objectively measure people’s stair climbing behavior,” including the
number of steps taken, and how that activity ends up impacting their
health long term.

Why Stair-Climbing Boosts Health

Per
Singh, the exercise’s benefits come down to one specific attribute: its
vertical nature. Compared to an activity like walking on flat ground,
climbing stairs is more of an “exertional challenge for your body to
move itself against gravity,” she explained.

This type of movement takes up 9.6 times the amount of energy as sitting, Paddock added.

Not
only does this mean that climbing stairs “improves our
cardiorespiratory fitness,” Paddock said, but it can also boost other
aspects of health. It “strengthens your posterior chain—glutes, hamstrings, hip flexors, calves—which improves overall mobility and musculoskeletal resilience,” Singh said.

How Many Stairs Should You Climb?

According
to Paddock, there isn’t enough research to recommend a specific number
of flights or an intensity level to achieve the health benefits found in
her study.

However, she said some studies suggest that five to
six flights of stairs daily (or 50 to 60 total steps) can make an
impact. A 2023 study,
for example, found a link between climbing at least 50 steps daily and a
20% reduced risk of atherosclerosis, which is when plaque buildup
causes arteries to harden.

Nonetheless, “any stairs are better than none,” Singh said.

She
noted that taking the stairs, even in cases that “are not systematic
exercise regimes,” can help reduce all-cause cardiovascular mortality.

How to Make Stair-Climbing a Habit

Incorporating
stair climbing into your routine starts with simply paying attention to
your surroundings. Look for stairs in homes, your workplace, parking
garages, and more.

As Singh put it, “If you see stairs, climb them.”

“This type of exercise is accessible to nearly all individuals,” she added.

To
stay motivated, Singh recommended creating a stair-climbing challenge
at work or downloading an app that tracks the number of steps or flights
climbed.

If you do create a stair-climbing routine and it
eventually feels too easy, she advised continuing to “build fitness” by
increasing the number of steps climbed or the frequency or duration of
your workouts.

If you have mobility difficulties or lack access to
stairs, try to move your body any way you can, Singh said. Similar
benefits can be achieved with other types of exercise, such as swimming, biking, or rowing.

“Any
physical activity is better than none,” Singh said. “Your heart really
does not care what you do as long as there is a consistent practice of
exercise.”

Read the original article on Health.com.